SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — It’s been four months since Seung Kim and his brother-in-law Ricky Sierra rolled out a new food truck throughout town.
READ MORE: Food Truck Tracker: Oct. 4 – Oct. 11
Kimchi Taco is an Asian-Mexican mobile eatery, with a name inspired by Kim’s family.
“When my daughter was born, we called her our little ‘sushi burrito,’” he said of her nickname, adding it was a blend of his Korean roots and his wife’s Mexican, Russian and American heritage. “And when my son was born two years later, we called him ‘kimchi taco.’”
The name stuck for a new business venture Kim decided to leap into earlier in 2024. His brother-in-law is the creative hands in the kitchen, with recipes inspired by Kim’s Korean roots and his own love for cooking. Kim, who managed Tokyo 101 for eight years, said he’s “the numbers guy.”
Both are foodies.
“Every time I go on vacation, I eat until I’m sick,” he quipped, noting in New York there is Asian cuisine fused with almost every nation.
While in Wilmington, it’s de rigueur to find Asian-Southern cuisine. Kim said the pairing of Mexican flair with flavors of Korea are also simpatico.
For instance, the kimchi has a kick of heat plus tang from its fermentation to make for a perfect topping on any of the food truck’s variety of tacos: chicken, beef or tofu bulgogi. Short-rib is Kim’s favorite and comes with a chorizo-style rub, like an adobo paste, served with Asian mango-pear slaw and choice of avocado salsa, jalapeño or habanero aioli.
“We only use Duke’s mayo to create the homemade aioli,” Kim clarified, admittedly overstuffing himself with it frequently. “My brother in law will not give it to me because I eat too much of it.”
The jalapeño is a less intense heat than the habanero. There is also a punch of spice in other dishes, but Kim said they will create to the customers’ preference.
“The worst-best thing I’ve heard so far was about the spicy Korean fried chicken bowl,” he said. “One customer told us: ‘This is probably so spicy I should not eat it, but I’m still going to because the flavor is so good.”
It comes doused in gochujang, a spicy Korean sauce, which Kim said the team can cut with sweet chili sauce to tame as need be.
Kim asked his mom to teach Sierra the tricks of the trade when it came to replicating her recipes. He recalled making “barrels” of kimchi as a child, which would be divided among his family’s church members.
“I’d always be the one washing the Napa cabbage and chopping it,” he said. “And she was always showing me her recipes for Korean barbecue — a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I’m like, ‘Mom, can you write that down, please?’”
But, like most mom’s in the kitchen, Kim said she worked from memory. She also speaks little English but has passed on to Sierra her marinades. There is a balance of sweet and salty flavors, but more so the process is integral to having a taco that’s manageable to eat by hand. The soaking ensures the meats remain tender instead of chewy.
“We have a good 40-minute video of Mama Kim — that’s what we call her — teaching Ricky her recipes,” Kim said.
Born in South Korea, Kim’s family immigrated to Maryland, before moving to Las Vegas and eventually landing in the Triangle area. Kim moved to Wilmington to attend UNCW 15 years ago and intended to pursue a career in the medical field but realized after graduation it wasn’t for him.
“My parents were always running a small business in the clothing industry,” he said, adding their propensity toward entrepreneurship inspired him.
Having started as a busboy in some downtown restaurants before moving onto the Korean restaurant, Kabuki, in 2012, Kim eventually landed at Tokyo 101 where he worked for a decade. First, he was hired as a sushi chef and eventually became a server and then manager, for both front and back of the house. He, essentially, worked his way through each position to gather hands-on training.
“And I just really loved it,” he said.
He and Sierra worked together at Tokyo the last four years and began conversing about exploring their own paths forward in the industry. Last fall, they found a food truck for sale and by April this year Kimchi Taco began operating.
They serve a 20-item menu that, in addition to tacos, includes quesadillas, rice bowls, dumplings and Korean corn dogs.
“They’re corn dogs on steroids,” Kim explained.
It’s essentially a hot dog, doused with a variety of toppings and batters. Kim said they cover half the hot dog in a mozzarella cheese block and half in Korean sausage, dunk it in batter, roll it in panko crumbs before cooking it, then cover in queso and roll it in chips dust — such as Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Sweet Chili Doritos.
“It’s a pretty hot seller,” Kim said, as is the kimchi fried rice, with the juice adding a pungency yet sweetness to each bite.
As the season changes, the menu may shift a little but staple tacos and rice bowls, as well as Korean- or Mexican nachos and doused fries are offered, with prices ranging from $6 to $20. There will be specials added as well, including variations on fried rice.
“Our vision is to be able to have more food trucks and eventually a brick and mortar,” Kim said. “We’re locals, and we love Wilmington and North Carolina. We plan to be doing this for a long time.”
Kimchi Taco will be parked at Gregory Farm Fall Festival on Saturday and The Bend on Sunday, Oct. 5-6. Follow the schedule here.
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